Not sure about you, but whenever I travel, my parents would always warn me about taking anything from the hotel minibar. Sure, when you’re feeling a little peckish, it may be convenient in the moment, but the reality is: everything in the minibar costs an absolute arm and a leg. Brooklyn-based comedian, podcaster and actor Francis Ellis was visiting California recently and he learnt that lesson the hard way. In a viral clip snowballing online right now, Ellis wakes up with a hangover, shocked to find that his hotel minibar has been completely ravaged, and he’s only got himself to blame.
The caption to the video sums things up well and simply reads, “Hotel Minibar Disaster“. Ellis, who is topless and looking a little worse for wear, stares into the camera and explains, “I just woke up at my nice hotel in California and discovered that I ate the entire minibar last night.”
The camera then switches angle to the remains of the minibar snacks, as the comedian reveals the extent of the damage. “Truffle potato chips? Gone. Original popcorn? Toast. Tates cookies? Gone. Nana Joes Ocean Beach granola? Gone. Smart Sweets, three grams of sugar — new and improved? Gone. Jones bar, beef jerky? Nothing left. 9th and Larkin, 70% chocolate? Gone.” Breaking tradition, however, Ellis changes his tone for the next one. “Dried apricots? Lot of that left. Apparently I wasn’t fancying the vegetable course.”
“Ohhh, it’s gonna be so expensive, though. It’s gonna be so expensive. What do I do?” Ellis asks looking straight into the camera, before the footage cuts to him leaving the hotel and having to pay for the overpriced snacks. “Just checking out. Looks like I got into the minibar a little bit. Does that food and beverage thing apply to the minibar?” The worker behind the desk sadly says “No.”
“Oh, no.” Ellis opines, before continuing. “How much is all of the food cost on the minibar? Does anybody know that?” The hotel employee replies, “So, I’ll just go by each item,” and proceeds to rattle off the prices of every individual product in the minibar. Suffice it to say, the cost is staggering for what amounts to a few bags of chips, chocolates, and dried fruit, and comes in at an eye-watering… $116.
Looking deflated and a little disgruntled, the comedian concludes, “Alright, lesson learnt.”
With so many people empathising with Ellis’s predicament, the internet was quick to respond. Many netizens found the clip amusing, with one commenter chiming in with, “It’s hilarious to see him assume the worst and then she starts rattling off the prices and it’s somehow worse….”
Elsewhere, a second comment joked, “I declare… BANKRUPTCY“. Finally, a third TikTok user suggested, “Just go to the store and replace it,” though another commenter disagreed clarifying, “They get weird brands too so you can’t run to sevs and restock 😅”
